Supporting and guiding pre-service teachers strengthens our profession and is critical to creating the dynamic and inspirational teachers of tomorrow.

Great teachers have the qualities to support pre-service teachers undertaking their professional experience placements.

Great teachers:

• know the content of the subjects they teach and have a deep understanding of how learning happens
• are role models of learning
• are also those with the personal attributes, dispositions and values that engage students and inspire them to learn and achieve.

What have previous supervising teachers said?

Some of the key roles of a supervising teacher

You would be expected to:

• demonstrate a clear commitment to supervising and developing pre-service teachers with a focus on helping them understand and improve their impact on student learning. Resources to support: self-reflection against the graduate standards, SMART goal planning template, classroom practice feedback - graduate and guided reflection after an observation activity.

• assess the professional practice of pre-service teachers rigorously and fairly against the requirements of the placement and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the graduate career stage and provides evidence-based feedback to pre-service teachers. Resource to support your judgement: Professional Experience - Evidence guide for supervising teachers © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)

• take responsibility for your own professional development as a coach, advisor, and assessor. Have a look at the Supervising preservice teachers learning modules © Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
• act as a role model to pre-service teachers by participating actively in all aspects of a teacher’s professional life.
• assist the pre-service teacher to work with and learn from other teachers who are effective in particular areas. Resources to support this include proven strategies that support high quality professional experience placements
• demonstrate your professional commitment by including pre-service teachers in professional activities and positioning them as active contributors.
• support the integration of work-based learning with coursework and other provider-based learning undertaken by pre-service teachers through collaboration with colleagues and provider staff.
• collaborate with the professional experience coordinator, the tertiary supervisor and school/early childhood leadership to provide early and appropriate support and advice to pre-service teachers experiencing difficulties in meeting the requirements of the placement.